West Hartford Man Held Over Immigration Released

Community Support Played A Role

February 18, 2012|Susan Campbell

The first thing Sujitno Sajuti did Friday when he was released after more than two months in a Massachusetts prison was go to a nearby mosque to pray.

"There was no ceremony when he walked out," said Jay Klemundt, who spearheaded part of a massive effort to gain the release of Sujitno Sajuti, 63, a native of Indonesia who was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents near his home on Dec. 10. "He literally walked out the door with a box of not-much, and there was a mosque just around the corner and he went and prayed there."

At the same time, Sajuti's wife, Dahlia, was praying at a mosque in Connecticut, said Klemundt.

"I think prayers played a factor here," he said.

Sajuti came to the U.S. on a student visa in 1981, but after it expired he continued living here illegally. His supporters say deadlines for filing important paperwork were missed – and, at least on one occasion, paperwork was lost by government representatives. In a letter from jail, Sajuti said he tried to rectify the situation, but "not a single lawyer wanted to take my case at the time." And, as with many Muslim immigrants, events of9/11complicated matters.

Sajuti had been held in a prison at North Dartmouth, Mass. He was released under supervision, according to documents he carried with him, said Klemundt, though there was some uncertainty as to whether he would be allowed to apply for a work authorization card. Klemundt said Sajuti's attorney, Irwin Berowitz, of New York, would review the documents.

Earlier, Berowitz said that though Sajuti was deep into the deportation process, he wasn't surprised at the turn of events.

"The community support played a big role in it," said Berowitz. "I found out because enough of a stink was raised."

The Sajutis have been active in the immigrant community, as well as in various mosques around the area. They tutor youths, and Dahlia is an accomplished cook. Both have multiple post-graduate degrees, and the reaction to Sajuti's detainment was swift in close-knit West Hartford. There was a support group formed, "Let Sujitno Stay," and friends and acquaintances began telling his story on blogs and on social media web sites. The offices of Sen. Richard Blumental and Rep. John Larson got involved. On Tuesday, supporters held a press conference to decry his detainment which involved, Sajuti said in a letter, sharing a room with 67 other detainees.

Rafael Pichardo, a Hartford attorney who recently filed an application to stop Sajuti's removal from the country, said the situation looked grim until recently. Sajuti had called supporters to say he was one document away from being placed on a plane to Indonesia. Pichardo was acting as a local representative for Berowitz, but he'd been involved with Sajuti as a concerned citizen from the beginning.

Upon his release, Klemundt said Sajuti was happy, and happy to dig into a basket of food sent by his wife, Dahlia, for his first non-prison food meal since his imprisonment.

"I feel elated that this is happening, and hopefully, maybe this augurs well for a more discretionary policy of thinking twice before we deport people, at least on ICE's part," said Klemundt. "I don't know if this is a question of strings being pulled, or the glare of public attention they didn't really want, or somebody looking at this and saying, 'This guy is in no way a national security threat.' I don't know. I am very interested in getting Sujitno in the car [Klemundt said before his release]."

Sajuti and his wife attend Muhammad Islamic Center of Greater Hartford, and the imam there, Kashif Abdul-Karim, said Dahlia Sajuti called him with the news last night.

"She's ecstatic, overwhelmed, and very, very happy," said Imam Abdul-Karim. "We appreciate all that everyone did."

The imam said the couple has asked to come on Saturday to pray together. Pichardo said supporters will continue with a rally planned for Sajuti Feb. 25, which will be held as part-celebration, and part-reminder of countless other Connecticut residents in jail on immigration charges.

"That's one of my main concerns," said Pichardo, "that people in Connecticut don't know that every week at least a few Connecticut residents are in the same situation, but you don't hear about them. The whole system is invisible."